If the majority of dead birds are concentrated around Lake Puydarrieux, cranes found dead have been tested positive in Tarbes, Lannemezan and Luquet. Two meetings were organized by the State, with elected officials.
For three weeks, avian flu has made its return to the Hautes-Pyrénées territory, thanks to the migration of bird colonies. It is the site of Lake Puydarrieux, an ornithological reserve, which is particularly concerned. “In total, as of Friday November 7, 56 cranes have been found dead on Lake Puydarrieux since October 20. Among them, 5 cranes were analyzed and found positive for the H5N1 virus, explains Régine Morlas, deputy director at DDETSPP 65 (Departmental Directorate of Employment, Labor, Solidarity and Protection of Populations of the Hautes-Pyrénées). Other cranes found dead were analyzed and found positive in Tarbes – Lustar – Lannemezan and Luquet.”
In view of this mortality on Lake Puydarrieux and the nearby presence of an area at risk of diffusion with a high density of poultry farms in the sector, a prefectural decree defining an area for the application of additional measures in order to prevent the risk of spreading the virus in wild avifauna and introduction into farms over a radius of 5 km around the lake (15 municipalities) was taken. Two coordination meetings between the different stakeholders were organized by DDETSPP 65, in conjunction with the French biodiversity office. The first on Friday October 24 at the administrative city in Tarbes in order to take stock of the situation and coordinate monitoring; the second, on Monday, November 3 at the Puydarrieux town hall with the elected officials of the municipalities concerned by the prefectural zoning decree in order to inform them and coordinate the collection and removal of birds found dead. Posters for the public have been put up around the lake to inform people about what to do (do not touch the bird found dead, do not transport it and report its location). Communication was made to hunting companies by the departmental hunting federation regarding the use of decoys and waterfowl hunting and a prefectural decree taken to prohibit fishing on Lake Puydarrieux.
811,000 ducks vaccinated during the campaign
Following previous episodes of avian flu which had undermined the territory’s livestock farms, emphasis was placed on animal vaccination. A campaign which has borne fruit since 37 ready-to-fatten duck farms with more than 250 animals practice vaccination and are subject to surveillance in this regard. Thus, 214 vaccination interventions were carried out during this 2024-2025 campaign by dedicated teams or by the breeders themselves, i.e. 811,000 ducks vaccinated and surveillance still active with 224 veterinary visits and 13,440 samples taken. “Vaccination is a shield to protect farms, reminds Régine Morlas at the DDETSPP, it is an effective measure but which must remain complementary to the prevention measures in force in the territory (biosecurity measures, sheltering animals, surveillance, etc.) whose correct application remains imperative.”